Teddy Stoddard 泰迪•史塔特 


As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.
在開學的第一天，當湯普生老師站上講台，面對著她班上五年級的學生，她向他們說了一句謊話。就像每一個老師一樣，她會一視同仁地愛每個孩子！但這是不可能的，因為在她教室前排的坐位上，正無力地坐著一個男孩，泰迪-史塔特。

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.
湯普生老師花了一年的時間觀察泰迪，發現他不能跟其他學生合群地一起玩耍。他的穿著邋遢，經常需要好好洗個澡。而且他可能很不快樂。事實上他引人不悅到一個程度，讓湯普生老師甚至喜歡用粗紅筆在泰迪的作業上畫大大的“X”，然後在上面寫個“不及格”！

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.
在湯普生老師所教的學校，老師們必須檢視每個學生以前的檔案紀錄。她故意將泰迪的放在最後看。然而當她看到泰迪的檔案時，她卻感到十分驚訝：

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around."
一年級老師寫道：「泰迪是個聰明的孩子，永遠面帶笑容，他的作業很整齊、很有禮貌，他跟別人相處得很愉快！」

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.
二年級老師說：「泰迪是個優秀的學生，很受同學歡迎。但他似乎很憂愁，因為他的母親罹患了絕症，他家中的生活一定充滿了掙扎！」
His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death had been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."
三年級老師：「母親的過世對他來說是個打擊。他很努力想有好的表現。但他父親卻是漠不關心。若再不想法改善，他的家庭生活將對他產生影響。」

His fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class."
四年級老師：「泰迪開始退縮，對課業提不起興趣，沒有什麼朋友，有時會在課堂上睡覺。」

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and was ashamed of herself.
直到現在，湯普生老師才了解泰迪的困難，而對過去自己的態度深感羞愧。

She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents.
更讓她感到難過的是：當其他學生們送給她的聖誕禮物，是用精美緞帶，及鮮艷的包裝紙包得漂漂亮亮，而泰迪卻與眾不同。他送的聖誕禮物卻是包在雜貨店帶回來的，粗重的牛皮紙袋裡面。湯普生老師心裏作難地當著全班的面拆開泰迪的禮物。

Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume.
But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.
有的孩子開始發出了笑聲，當她發現泰迪送的聖誕禮物是：一條玻璃製的假鑽手鏈，上面還缺了幾顆寶石，另外是一罐只剩四分之一的香水。但是湯普生老師接下的舉動，令小朋友們屏息住笑聲。她面露驚喜地稱讚：這手鏈真漂亮，且帶上手鏈，並噴了一些香水在手腕上。

Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to."
放學後泰迪史塔特留下來對湯普生老師說：「老師，你今天聞起來好像我媽媽以前的味道！」

After the children, left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children.
等孩子們都離開之後，湯普生老師整整哭了一個小時。就在那一天，湯普生老師不再教閱讀、寫作、數學，這些知識。相反地，她開始「教育孩童」！

Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."
湯普生老師開始特別關心泰迪，而當她陪泰迪一同學習後，他的心似乎重新又活了過來。湯普生老師越鼓勵泰迪，泰迪的反應越快，到了學年終時，泰迪已經成為班上最聰明的孩子之一。盡管湯普生老師曾說過她會一視同仁地愛每個孩子，但泰迪卻成了她最寵愛的學生。

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he had ever had in his whole life.
一年後，湯普生老師在門縫下發現一張紙條，是泰迪寫來的，上面說湯普生老師是他一生遇到最棒的老師！

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he had ever had in his whole life.
六年過去了，湯普生老師又發現另一張泰迪寫的紙條，泰迪已經高中畢業，成績全班第三名，而湯普生老師仍是他一生遇到最棒的老師！

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest honors.He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life.
再四年後，湯普生老師又收到一封信，泰迪說有時候學業並不盡然如意，但他還是留在學校，繼續堅持下去。而不久之後，他將獲得最高的榮譽，從大學畢業！他再一次告訴湯普生老師，她還是他這一輩子遇到最棒且最喜歡的老師！

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further.The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. Now his name was a little longer--the letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D.
又再四年過去，一封信又寄來了。這次信中說，當泰迪四年前大學畢業時，決定繼續深造。信中再解釋一次，湯普生老師還是他這一生遇到最棒且最喜歡的老師，而信末簽名時多了幾個字：「泰迪-史塔特 醫學博士。」

The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did.
故事並沒有在此結束呢！你看，那年春天又來了一封信，泰迪說他遇到屬於他的女孩，很快要結婚了。泰迪解釋說他的父親幾年前過世了，他希望湯普生老師可以同意參加他的婚禮，並坐在保留給新郎「母親」的位置。當然，湯普生老師照著他所要求的做了。

And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. and she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.
但你知道嗎？湯普生老師竟然戴著當年那串掉了幾顆寶石的玻璃假鑽手鏈。還特別記得噴了泰迪所懷念，他母親在過世前最後一個聖誕節用過的香水。

They hugged each other, and Dr Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ears, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.
他們互相擁抱，史塔特博士輕輕在湯普生老師耳邊說：「湯普生老師，謝謝你相信我，謝謝你讓我能覺得自己被重視，讓我看到自己有能力來改變現狀！」

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said "Teddy you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."
湯普生老師眼中含著淚，輕輕地回答說：「泰迪，你錯了！是你教導我相信自己有能力去作出改變。若不是遇見了你，我一直不知道該如何教育一個人！」

Please remember that wherever you go, and whatever you do, you will have the opportunity to touch and/or change a person's outlook. Please try to do it in a positive way.
請記得無論你在何處，不管你做什麼，你總是有機會去觸摸並改變一個人的形貌。請嘗試用正面的方法去做成。

Reach for the moon, if you miss, you will land among the stars.
把目標放在到達月亮，如果達不到目標，你至少還會登上星星。

Dr Ted Stoddard is a cancer specialist working in the Methodist General Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
The Hospital has a cancer wing name after him.......DR STODDARD CANCER WING.